Business Writing Course

The Business Writing Essentials course teaches business people how to write clear, concise, professional letters, emails, memos, and reports. The course is designed to help students feel they can write an email tomorrow morning confident that it will be understood and generate the desired response.

The course contains the essential training provided in BWC210 Business Writing Skills, but without practice activities and some lessons. The instructor evaluates four competency examinations. As with all other Business Writing Center courses, students have unlimited access to the instructor to ask questions during the course. The instructor evaluates the competency examinations and coaches the student through learning skills.

CONTENT

Use Standard Letter and Memo Formats

Use a standard letter format.
Use a standard memo format.

Prepare Your Notes

Prepare notes for your email, memo, letter, or report.

Organize the Writing

Organize the notes.

Introduce the Content

For emails and memos, always write a clear, meaningful subject line.
For letters, use a "Subject" or "Re" line if your company customarily uses it.
Write a clear, complete email introduction.
Write a clear, complete report introduction.
Write a clear, complete letter introduction.
Write a clear, complete memo introduction.
For emails, letters, and memos, write a cordial beginning or buffer.
State the contents of the email, letter, or memo.
State the contents of the report.

Write a Clear Document

Write the explanations in blocks.
Keep explanations of a subject together in one block.
Check each block for focus.
Check each block for completeness.
Open each block with a statement of the contents.
Use headings to open blocks.
Bold field or data names to identify them as blocks.

Present Lists Clearly

Create lists.
Open list blocks.
Mark the list items clearly.
Keep list items in a single list.
Keep list items in the same format.
Use information mapping to be explicit

Write Clear, Complete Explanations

Use key words consistently.
Use full phrases to define words clearly.

Write Clear, Effective Sentences, Paragraphs, and Words

Use paragraphs to organize information.
Write concisely.
Combine sentences to show relationships. Separate sentences to make them clearer.
Write clear, simple, straightforward sentences.
Write strong, direct sentences.
Use words the reader will understand.

Prepare a Polished, Correct Final Draft

Use your spell checker and grammar checker.
Proofread.
Format the email to be readable.

PREREQUISITES: Basic command of the English language with no serious usage problems.
TUITION: $147 if you enroll for the course alone. $195 if you also enroll for BWC85 Basic Grammar Essentials at the same time.
TEXT: All text materials are online.
DURATION: Approximately 12 to 18 hours of study. All lessons must be completed within two months. If you enroll for both BWC85 and BWC95, you have four months to complete both courses in any order.
ENROLLMENT AND START DATES: Enrollment is currently open. Fill out the registration form at https://www.writingtrainers.com/register/regiformdata.htm . Your syllabus will be online as soon as possible after registration is finished. Complete lessons at your own pace.

Link to the whole catalog of 45 courses.

E-mail the Center at center@writingtrainers.com